A Wicked Game
by xxxMusic1022Lovexxx
Summary: When a chain of warnings and threats come from a mysterious stranger, the lives of two best friends takes an unexpected turn for the worst. With danger haunting them at every corner, they become pawns in the hands of a strange man with a hidden agenda. With no one to trust, the friends have no choice but to succumb to the unknown of a very dangerous game. Violence/Language/Suspense
1. Chapter 1

Prologue:

It became real. The texts, the files and the game took on a whole new form of reality. I couldn't find a way out, he knew where I'd be. I couldn't run, he'd find me. I couldn't tell without risking the life of another person. I looked up into my best friends eyes. Alice, the only one who knew what was going on... The only one who I could relate to. Fear shone on her once innocent face. I was sure my own reflection revealed the same emotion. No, we needed to compose ourselves. We couldn't raise eyebrows, we couldn't afford questions. I gave her the look, the look that said this wasn't the time to panic... We needed to keep a straight face. They would know we were lying. They could see it on our faces. I close my eyes, willing to compose my features. When I reopen them, I notice the same look of concentration on Alice's face. A deep breath. An opened door.

"Miss Dwyer, Miss Brandon, please come in," Charlie Swan, the chief of police opened the door wider, inviting us into the small confines of his office. I took a deep breath. I was far from ready, but I can't back out now. Giving Alice a pointed look, I take my first step into Chief Swan's office.

Chapter 1:

"Are you going out tonight?" I heard her voice before I see her enter the room. Not that that should have been surprising; my back was turned to the doorway. I look up from the peanut butter and jelly sandwich I was making and faced my mother.

"Yeah, Alice and I are gonna catch a movie," I explained as I cut the sandwich in half. "Want some?" I aske offering her the second half of my sandwich with my arm outstretched in her direction. A small smile played on her lips as she reached out and accepted the food I offered her.

"Thanks Bells."

"No problem. Will dad be back soon?"

"Doubtfully. The team's only a week away from finals. He's got the boys training harder than ever. He believes they've actually got a chance this year."

"Hmm," I mumbled without much interested. Phil was the coach of some major league baseball team. I found the whole thing to be ridiculous. I constantly made fun of him, saying that coaching baseball was his feeble attempt at reliving his glory years. Not that they weren't worth reliving; he was once a great baseball player! It wasn't until his car accident shortly after his 24th birthday that things changed. His contract with the Seattle Mariners became void and he could no longer play baseball the way he once could. But, like a true athlete, he just couldn't continue to live his entire life without the sport that he'd always loved. It became his motivation, his support. Most would say that during his trying times, he would have fallen onto the shoulders of his loving and supportive family. But no, not Phil. Family was never much of a concern for him. He was more or less an absent father, hardly home on birthdays or holidays. I may have seen him two or three times a week for the last four years. He's never been one for father daughter dances, and wasn't even there on the night of my first date to give the boy I was currently seeing, Mike, the usual lecture about taking care of his little girl and what awful things he would do if she came back in a less then perfect condition. I really shouldn't complain, I suppose. He has never once been abusive, nor has he ever become addicted to any illegal substance. That was the problem with Jessica Stanley's father. After years of being physically abused by her dad, who was addicted to cocaine, she ended up running away to live in some remote city on the outskirts of Seattle. There, she was struggling so bad that she had to sell herself on the streets. Three years after she ran away from home, her life became a blur of sex, alcohol and cocaine. So, like I said, I shouldn't complain. Things can always get worse.

After finishing my sandwich, I grabbed the keys to my truck and headed for the door. It was just after seven in the evening and our movie didn't start until 8:10. The plan was to catch a bite to eat and then go to the theatre. I opened the door to my red, rusty but beloved truck. After a fifteen minute dive, I ended up in the driveway of my best friend, Alice Brandon's house. She was outside waiting for me when I arrived.

"Took you long enough," she complained as she climbed into my abused monster of a truck. "And when are you gonna replace this damn thing?"

"I'm early!" I said, exasperated. Alice, being the impatient diva that she is, always thought that she never had to wait for anyone. Of course, it was her fault for coming outside early. "And I'll have you know this thing is an antique. You'll never find one like her!" I smiled lovingly at my steering wheel.

"Maybe that's a good thing," she mumbled.

"Quit bitching, if you wanna ride in style, get your own car. As long as your mooching rides off of me, you have no place to complain." She grinned at that, then the truck was engulfed in a pleasant silence.

"I thought we'd ditch the movie date tonight," she said after awhile. "I'm not in the mood for zombies eating each other."

"What did you have in mind?" There was a wicked look in her eyes that made me nervous. Instead of answering, she grabbed her purse from the floor and started digging through it. After a minute or so of searching, she found was she was looking for.

"Ah hah!" She exclaimed, producing what looked like two drivers licenses. At a closer inspection, I realized that they were, indeed, drivers licenses. My face on one and hers on the other. One with the name Lauren Mallory and the other Leah Clearwater. The age of both being 21.

"Fake I.D's?"I asked in disbelief. "How the hell did you accomplish this, Ali?"

"Never doubt my mad skills, Bella boo," she laughed. "Jasper actually got them made for me. They weren't all that expensive, especially considering his cousin is the one who made the I.D's. They've got a 96% success rate. He said as long as we don't try using them against the FBI, we shouldn't run into any trouble with these."

I held onto my I.D as if it would disappear in thin air. There was no way she was serous. "What are we doing?" I asked warily. The cards made us look 21, the world now opened up with possibilities.

"Trinity," she smiled. "We're celebrating tonight in style, even if our ride is less than glamorous."

"Seriously? But that's a nightclub. You've actually got to be 21 to enter since they sell alcohol."

"Look at the I.D, you dumb bitch," she laughed hard at the glare I sent her. "It says we're 21."

"Yeah, I'm aware of that. But we don't look 21."

"Who cares what we look like? We've got enough proof that they have to let us in. Plus, Jazz is in with the bouncers at the club. He's put in some words. If he was right on the phone earlier, which I have enough reason to believe he was, we shouldn't even have to wait very long in line." Risking a glance at my best friend, I could see the excitement buzzing off of her. It was contagious and soon enough, I am bouncing up and down in my seat with excitement. Maybe what we are doing is illegal, but this club was one of the hottest things in the Seattle area. I would be considered a social piranha if I gave up an opportunity like this. Although, as we got closer and closer to our destination, my excitement reached an all new level. I was high on anticipation, ready to get inside and kick my shoes off.

"Ready?" Alice asked as she reached in her purse, grabbing her wallet. She set the bag aside and put her wallet inside the inside pocket of her jacket. "We're right about on time."

"Yeah, I'm definitely ready!" Alice beamed, sensing the excitement that I'm sure was radiating off of me. Her spirits picked up as we got closer to the line. Looking to the front where an exceptionally tall, tanned skin and visibly buff enough to notice from a far away view, Alice nodded briefly with her head.

Quicker than I would have thought possible, the man showed up beside us. "Ladies," he acknowledged us both with a swift nod of his head.

"Dimitri! This is Bella. Is Jazz around?" He nodded his head again and ushered us to the front of the line. There were a few grunts of protest from the partygoers who had already been waiting for possibly hours, but they were ignored by the giant of a man who took quick looks at our fake I.D's, stamped our hands with the words "21 and up", and lead us inside of the club. As we made our way through the narrow hallway that expanded into the room full of sweating bodies grinding and dancing on the dance floor, I feel a sudden anticipation, although different from the way I felt in the truck. Suddenly, the blue and black lights that lit up the room feel eerie and foreign. The people throwing themselves around in an attempt at looking sexy for their dates seemed too animalistic. The music coming from the bass made the room bounce and the floors to shake uncontrollably, causing me to lose my balance on a couple of occasions, quickly catching myself before I had a chance to fall. A cold breath breathed down my neck. Jumping back, I couldn't see anyone.

"Bella?" Alice asked, bringing me back to reality. "What's up?" Her eyebrows crinkled together in confusion. "You okay?"

"Huh?" I looked at my best friend, trying to remember what she asked me. Her face was engulfed in darkness, her clothes taking on a new effect in the blue lights. Jasper Whitlock, her boyfriend of three years had his arms around her waist. His eyes, too, were on me. They displayed a sisterly affection and definite concern. "No, of course not," I said, coming back to myself. "I'm fine. I was just overwhelmed there for a second." She smiled at me, reassured.

"Come on, Bells. Let's dance!" She grabbed a hold of my hand and led me to the floor of people who I was just ogling moments before. Unlike before, their movements didn't scare me, the music didn't bring out fear or anticipation. My mind was spinning, but I didn't let myself think about what just happened. For now, I would dance. I would have fun with my best friend and forget about the unanticipated turn of events. Just as I made my resolve, I saw him. His eyes were trained on me as I walked behind Alice. A small, dangerous smile played on his lips, but the rest of his features were obscured in the darkness. I didn't recognize him, but his presence sent chills down my spine. With my attention elsewhere, I almost didn't notice the couple dancing wildly in front of me.

"Sorry," I quickly apologized after I bumped into the woman. Before I could control my eyes, they went right back to the area in the corner where he once stood, but he was gone.

**Authors Note: Hey guys! Just so you know, this is actually my second account on fanfiction, so don't be disheartened by the fact that I'm considered a "new author". I once wrote a story from a different vampire series on fanfiction, but it's an old ass account and I wanted a fresh start. I've been working on this story for the last few days and I'm about to start on the sixth chapter, so I'm a little bit ahead, meaning you can expect frequent updates. Please let me know if you like my story(: I'd love to get some feedback from you guys. Also, AN's from me will probably be pretty rare unless I have something of any real importance to say. I put the first couple of chapters up together so that you have enough material to decide whether it's worth reading or not. I hope you like it!**

**xoxox**

**Stephanie.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

The rest of the night passed by in a blur. We danced until our feet were sore and we left the club later than either of us had originally anticipated. Realizing I left my phone in the car didn't help anything either. Fully utilizing his new fake I.D, Jasper got totally drunk. He was laughing and hanging off Alice and I for most of the night. Luckily, he was a giggly, fun drunk, so he was at least entertaining to be around.

Also, I didn't see him again.

I couldn't decide whether this was a good thing or a bad thing. The feelings I got when I saw him were not at all positive. Fear for some unknown reason blazed through my body when I first saw him, but there was also something strong and hypnotic about his presence. I found my eyes searching the room for him whenever Alice and I took breaks from dancing, or even while I spun in circles on the dance floor. I tried to be subtle, but Alice saw through my charade without any trouble.

"So, who is he?" She asked me once we were back in the confines of my truck. I found out that I had 13 missed calls and 19 text messages from my mother. I sighed in defeat. Realizing there was no way I could deal with her tonight. I sent her a quick text, letting her know that I was safe, but I would be spending the night at Alice's' house tonight.

"Hmm?" I asked, feigning ignorance.

"Bella," one look told me she knew better.

"Honestly, Ali, I have no idea."

"Don't lie!" She laughed, playfully swatting me on the arm. "You've had that look on your face all night. I'm not an unobservant person, you've had your eyes wandering all night and you've barely been able to keep up a conversation. You're been distracted."

"I'm not lying... I really don't know who he is. It's complicated. We'll talk about it tomorrow. Right now we have to deal with your intoxicated cowboy." I pointed at Jasper, who took that moment to let out a deafening snore. He passed out minutes into the car ride back to Alice's house. Her face grew tender.

"He is such an idiot, but I love him," she laughed. The rest of the drive was spent in silence, which I preferred to Alice's prodding. I was embarrassed over how obvious I had been back at the club.

"Jazz, get up, we're back." Alice shook Jaspers arm slightly and he bounced up.

"Momma?" He drawled and we both laughed. "Wait, Ali? What's up darlin'?" He looked at Alice as if he didn't really believe she was there, and as if he definitely couldn't remember the last few hours.

"Lets get you inside, cowboy," she opened the door and helped him out. "No more drinking for you." He groaned in agreement.

*-*-*-AWG-*-*-*-

When morning came, I made the decision to believe that last nights sighting was either a figment of my imagination or just not important enough to risk stressing over. I woke up refreshed. Alice and Jasper were still snoozing away on the bed, so I decided to head home and deal with the blowout I was sure to receive from my mother. Being out half the night with no contact with her was unacceptable behavior in her eyes and, while I agree, I just didn't have the strength to care about whether or not her and Phil were up half the night worrying. Although, the idea that they would be was almost funny.

When I got home, I was surprised to see that my parents were still asleep. This was a stroke of good luck. At least I'd have time to get a shower in before we got into another argument over how I don't care about how much stress I put on this family and I act like I can go around doing whatever I want. I may love my mother, but sometimes she can inarguably be a redundant bitch.

After a shower and fresh clothes, I went downstairs to make breakfast.

"You've got mail," Phil said, throwing me a thick, brown envelope. "And you're mom's pissed at you, you know?"

"Yeah, I got the memo last night," I snapped. He raised his eyebrows, but didn't comment on my attitude.

I hardly ever got mail and I didn't recognize the address it was sent from. The name on the top right hand corner didn't give much information away either, since they didn't bother to have it signed. The hand that wrote my name had elegant handwriting, but not one that I was familiar with. I ate my breakfast in silence, not taking my eyes off the envelope, but not daring to open it in front of my father. After rinsing out my cereal bowl, I took my mail and bolted up the stairs.

Once in the safety of my own bedroom, I opened the envelope.

Growing up, I've been the victim of many pranks. It wasn't until i befriended Alice in sixth grade that the teasing and the practical jokes stopped. She stood up for me, prevented anyone from hurting me, whether it be physically or emotionally, and offered me a hand in friendship. She really acted like my guardian angel for the first six months or so of our friendship. I was a loner and she was the preppy, head cheerleader. Everyone in school believed she would tire of me before too long and then they could all continue picking on me. She proved them all wrong. She quit the cheerleading team, causing them to lose the state championship because the girls on the squad often mocked me; she dumped her boyfriend, James, because he lead the group that always pulled the pranks on me. Since then, Alice became my best friend; my idol. Since then, no one has ever messed with me.

No one, apparently, until now.

Spread out on my bed was something worthy of Law & Order. Inside of the envelope, there was a yellow manilla folder. The curiosity in me was strong, but the sense of fear and foreboding returned. I needed to open the folder. It was thick, obviously whoever sent it to me put a lot of work into this, With shaky, cautious fingers, i lifted the top of the folder.

And immediately wished I hadn't.

The first page contained about seven pictures of me. They were taken from far away with a camera that had an eye for detail. Flipping through the pages, I noticed one thing they all had in common. All pictures were of me, Alice, or Alice and I together. At the very end of the folder, a piece of college rule pager was laying face down.

I wanted desperately to have the willpower to throw the folder away without reading the note. Whoever has been taking these pictures had a motive. Whether he wanted to scare me or do something far worse could be revealed in the letter my stalker wrote me. Ignorance, I thought, is not bliss.

I picked up the note, hesitating on the first line. It was in the same beautiful handwriting as my name had been on the envelope.

It read:

Isabella,

As you can see from my collection, I have been watching you. You're not safe; she's not safe. Once it's begun, it can not end. Keep you're eyes open and your lips sealed. Soon, the answers to all of your questions will be revealed. Be wary of who you put your trust in.

-E

*-*-*AWG-*-*-*

Alice. I needed to talk to Alice. I dialed her number, unsure of what I was about to say. _You're not safe; She's not safe. _Do I tell her?

Yes, I thought, I have to. The phone rang for what felt like several minutes before it stopped at Alice's voicemail.

"Hey, it's me," the recording said. "Sorry I couldn't answer your call. Leave me a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Later."

"Alice, It's Bella. I need you to call me once you can. There's something I need to talk to you about. Wait until Jasper leaves, or have him drop you off at my house on his way home. It's important." I ended the call with a heavy heart. The letter has shaken me. I don't understand the reasoning behind this; the motive to stalk us. Alice needs to know; She'll know what to do,


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey guys! I decided to post this chapter earlier than I'd planned since I'm confident in how far ahead I am at the moment. I know the chapters are short, but just bare with me for now. Once I get Edward into the story, I'll slow down a bit, I promise(: Also? Please review and let me know what you think. I'd love to get some feedback from you. This chapter is in Alices' point of view. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!**

**xoxo**

**Stephanie**

Chapter 3:

APOV:

Bella was gone before I woke up, Typical. She knew I'd want to talk about what had her distracted last night, so she bounced before I had the chance to bombard her with questions. "Jazz," I whispered. "Jasper, wake up." I shook his arm lightly, but he didn't respond. "Jasper!" I tried talking normal, but the only thing he did was groan and cover his face with a pillow. I sighed. Waking him up in the mornings is damn near impossible, especially when he's hung-over. I tried a different approach.

Leaving my door wide opened, I left my bedroom and headed to the kitchen. If talking to him wont get him out of bed, then I was sure eggs, bacon, and coffee would do the trick. After starting the coffee, I started working on breakfast. Just as I was frying up the last batch of bacon, he made an appearance. The look on his face was comical as he rubbed at his tired eyes and poured himself a cup of freshly brewed coffee. He walked over to me, kissed the top of my head and reached above me for the bottle of Advil. We ate our breakfast, talking about everything and nothing. The things I love about my Jasper,

"Darlin', I think your phone's ringing," He said, leaning his head in the direction of my room. I stopped half way through rinsing off my plate and allowed myself the chance to hear what he was hearing. He was right; I could hear the distant sound of my phone ringing as I rushed across the room. The ringing stopped right before I walked through the doorway that lead to my bedroom, and I let out a breath of frustration.

"Woah, cowgirl," he laughed at the irritated look on my face. I hated cell phones. "Just go see if your mystery caller left you a message."

"There's no mystery," I growled. "It was Bella calling. She's the only one who calls my phone. Everyone else accepted the fact that I can't stand technology." I reach for the phone and dialed one for voicemail. My anger evaporated as soon as I hear her voice. It was bordering on panic, and I could hear fear coming from her words. The words she said weren't what worried me, but her tone. She was scared, really scared.

"Jazz, will you drop me off at Bella's on your way home?"

"No can do, Darlin'." he laughed. "Bella drove me here. My car is still at the club. Since Bella left early this morning, I thought I'd call Emmett for a ride." I looked at him with pleading eyes and he sighed. "Bella's in the opposite direction of the club so I wont try to inconvenience Emmett any further. But, if you come with me, I'll give you a ride to her house when I get my truck back." I smiled at him in thanks and hugged him.

Twenty minutes and a change of clothes later, Jasper and I were sitting inside of Emmett's monster Jeep Wrangler. That's really what he calls it, too. "The Monster."

"Emmett, I don't think it took this long for Bella and I to get to Trinity last night and there was a lot more traffic. What's up?" I ask, knowing that he always wants to prove how superior his Jeep is to Bella's rusted, piece of shit truck. I don't even know what would have possessed her to get the thing in the first place, much less why she loves it. _The Thing_, yeah, that shows promise as a good name for her truck. I wanted to get the ride over with so I could get to Bella's and find out what had her freaking out on the phone. I haven't heard her that scared since sixth grade when... No. I won't think about that.

"Bella's truck couldn't possibly be going faster then The Monster," he protested. His words were menacing and protective, although I could see his speedometer inch closer to 100 as his need to prove himself increased. Jasper turned around from his position in the front seat to raise an eyebrow at me in question. He knew what I was doing. But each second that I spent in this car just added to my already sky rocketing anxiety. Before I could complain again about how long the drive was, Emmett pulled onto the street that the club was adjacent to. I breathed a sigh of relief. We were almost there.

It wasn't hard to find Jasper's truck. It was one in the afternoon, one of the slowest times for a nightclub, so the parking lot was relatively empty. What we found along with Jaspers truck however, was another matter entirely.

"What the hell?" Jasper yelled. "Emmett, what did you do?" I slowly approached the white truck. It was a beautiful truck, really. A five seater with a long bed. sunroof and a sound system. Now however, the truck has been manipulated. The seats of the truck were cut with what could have only been a long, thin pocketknife. The letter "E" was keyed into the side and hood of the truck, and the passenger seat window had been broken by what looked to be someone's fist. I slowly approached the broken glass, running my finger along the edges carefully. I opened the passenger door and tried to asses the damage done to the internal part of the car. Besides the two front seats, nothing seemed out of place or ruined. Running my finger along the folds of the now ruined seat, I notice a white piece of paper sticking half inside of my seat. I reach for it and pause when I saw that the note was addressed to me. The handwriting was beautiful. Elegant, even. The hand of a man with much skill in calligraphy. Whoever vandalized Jaspers truck did so to mess with me, which made me feel terrible and responsible for the damage. The note was also in my side, hidden from view from the drivers side, which I took to mean the note was for my eyes only. Jasper couldn't know about this. I tucked the note in my jacket pocket and looked around the parking lot. Paranoia swept over me. Was he still here? Was he watching?

I rejoined the arguing boys. Emmett had his fists raised in an obviously defensive manner. Jasper was yelling obscenities and cursing at the sky. He loves his truck, and the cost of damage is too much for him right now. Emmett tells him he knows a mechanic who will fix it for cheap, just gotta buy the parts. He met him while visiting his girlfriend, Rosalie in La Push.

Slamming his truck door, he took off out of the parking lot and back towards the direction of Bella's house. The letter felt heavy in my pocket. I needed a minute to read it. But as soon as we got to Bella's house, Jasper was gone and Bella came running out to meet me.

"I knew I heard Jaspers truck!" She exclaimed, throwing her arms around my shoulders in a tight hug. "Come inside! We need to talk."

BPOV:

Alice remained still and silent as I replayed the events that unfolded prior to her arrival. Her eyes got big, wide with some understanding that I was yet to be aware of whenever I brought up the person behind this. "He called himself E," I whisper as I unfold the note. I had it committed to memory, but she needed to read it. I saw her hand subconsciously reach for her jacket pocket as she reached out and read the paper that had my blood run cold with fear. I wanted to ask her about that, but I gave her time to process the load of information I just put on her shoulders. After about fifteen minutes of silence, she finally sighed and reached into her jacket pocket, revealing a small note equal in size to my own. I recognized the handwriting immediately and dread flowed through me.

"I haven't read it yet, I couldn't risk it near Jasper." She explained what happened back at the Trinity parking lot and my breathing stopped. I returned to stage one: panic. Before I could become crazy Bella though, she handed me the folded up letter with pleading eyes. "Please. You read it."

I took the paper carefully in my hand as if it might blow up at any random time. Just as carefully, I unfolded it, revealing the words written inside.

"Mary Alice," I read out loud, my voice shaking in fear. Clearing my throat loudly, I tried again. "Mary Alice, never doubt the kinds of evil a passionate man can accomplish given the motivation to do so. Poor Jasper never saw it coming, really. I do hate involving others in private business, but may this be a lesson for you and Isabella as well. Given the right motivation, the world opens up with possibilities. His car is a warning. I will be watching so don't do something Whitlock may come to regret later. -E."

I didn't need to have Alice's ability to decipher puzzles and riddles to understand the message behind this note. Although neither of us understood what was happening, it was clear that whoever was stalking us didn't want us to go to anyone for help. _The car is a warning._

"I don't understand!" Alice threw her head back and screamed to my ceiling fan. "What is going on? What does this psycho want? What does he mean?"

I let her go off on her screaming fit, knowing that I had had a similar reaction an hour or so before she came over. Instead of indulging in the same behavior, I reached for the note and left the room. My departure was so abrupt that, mid-rant, Alice followed me out to the backyard. There, I produce a lighter from my coat pocket. I flick the lighter, causing a bright yellow flame to come out of the tip. Lowering it below the note, I allowed the flame to catch fire to the paper, effectively burning out every word written. This causes a line of protests and question of my sanity from Alice but I remain silent as I watch the note go up in flames. When nothing but ashes remain, I turned back to Alice. "You know what the note said," my voice sounded oddly calm considering the turmoil I was in. My emotions were dark and cold like a raging storm; but just as I did with the ashes of the note, I kicked them aside and allowed myself to be only aware of the present. "We can't tell anyone what is going on. I'm not safe; You're not safe. Until we understand what's going on, I feel like it'd be best to just burn the evidence. No one can know what's happening." Alice's eyes went wide, but before she could protest, I stopped her. "You know what he said! _'Never doubt the kinds of evil a passionate man can accomplish give the motivation to do so.'_ Let's not give him the motivation, Alice. We need to keep this a secret. Promise me! Promise me you wont tell anyone. We need to figure this out together. Involving anyone else is just taking unnecessary, dangerous risks."

"But what if he's bluffing? What if we tell someone and he was just bluffing. What if he doesn't do anything?" Alice pleaded, grabbing my coat sleeve desperately.

"But what if he isn't, Ali? Can you really take that chance?" Her eyes lower in shame and I put my arms around her in an attempt to comfort her. It wont work and I know it. At this point, there's little we can do to comfort ourselves. But we needed to come to an understanding. "Promise me, Alice. Promise me you wont say anything to anyone about this 'E' character."

"I promise, Bells. I hate this, but your absolutely right. I promise."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

BPOV:

The next few days went back to normal and I found myself, again, wondering whether or not these recent events were even reality. It seemed to make more sense that my imagination was just going wild then the alternative. However, Alice was my proof that it wasn't just my imagination. Although we didn't talk about it, we've both seemed to have come to the conclusion that our best option was just to just ignore the situation, it still haunted us. I'd see her randomly look over her shoulder when we were out, as if she questioned whether or not we were being followed. I know I did the same thing, and I know she noticed. Even if we didn't dare bring voice to our worries, the concern was still there. The big question. What happened now?

If our stalker's only purpose was to scare us, he succeeded profoundly. We had been shaken to the core. Unfortunately, we both seemed to believe he had a larger purpose, even if we couldn't draw any steady conclusions. It wasn't until a week after the destruction to Jaspers truck that we even brainstormed possibilities. Even the conclusions we came to though, were weak and unsure. I guess similar enough to the way we felt.

"Maybe he's given up? Maybe he's scared us enough for his own enjoyment that now he's done?" Alice proposed. My face went grim. Although I desperately want to believe this like Alice did, something in my gut told me we haven't gotten to the bottom of our situation yet. Alice deserved the truth.

"As much as I want to believe that, Alice, I don't know if thats what's happening. Maybe he's waiting?"

"Quit being a pessimist, Bella. It's been a week without even as much as another note from the creep. Why wouldn't he just be done?"

"I'm not being pessimistic, Alice! It's called being realistic. Be prepared for the worst, pray for the best. I just don't wanna underestimate the guy."

"Overestimating someone is just as dangerous, you know?"I thought over her words for several minutes. Deciding to believe her, I nodded my head animatedly.

"Yeah, that's true. But it's still best to clear every option." We sat on my bed in silence for what seemed like hours. I looked up at my best friend, noticing the dark shadows under her eyes for the first time. It was the first real indication that maybe, while she desperately wanted to believe what she was preaching, she couldn't. She has the same fears as I have, the same inability to believe this was over. The future leered over us, unsure and still a giant question. "Come on, Ali, let's go get some lunch."

For as long as I could remember, I've always ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch. Not because I'm a freak about routines, just because I've always thought of peanut butter as my comfort food. Since I was old enough to eat real food, my Uncle Paul use to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, cutting his own sandwich in half and sharing it with me. After his death four years ago, I still kept to our afternoon routine. Now, however, I found it difficult to find someone to share the other half of the sandwich with. Luckily, I had Alice with me. Cutting the sandwich in half, I handed her the part meant for her and took a big bite of my own. Giving me a look of what could have only been sympathy, she took her half of the sandwich and nibbled on it slowly. She knew the death of my favorite uncle hurt me badly, and couldn't understand why I still tortured myself with the same daily snack routine that he and I had shared together. I didn't see it the same way as she did. The sandwich made me feel better. The simple activity we use to be able to enjoy together still gave me a feeling of calmness amongst my increasingly confusing life.

We were at the table, sipping lemonade when my phone dinged to notify me of a new text message. Alice was laughing, recounting a story about her and Jaspers recent trip to the mall. Apparently, he found a store that sold kilts and he had a tough time convincing Alice that it was a necessary addition to his closet. Both Alice and I knew that he had no real desire to wear what is basically a mans equivalent to a skirt, but his need to amuse and embarrass Alice was never ending.

The number was blocked, which I immediately decided was a bad sign. Sliding my finger across the screen to unlock it, I tried remembering who the last person I gave my phone number to was. I couldn't think of anyone after Emmett, and I didn't think he would block his number. "Who is it from?" Alice asked, her interest peaking slightly as i stared at the screen. The words on it were blurry and I couldn't focus my vision on them.

"No clue. Will you read it to me? I need to put my contacts in." I hand her the phone as I walk across the kitchen to our medicine cabinet to the right of the oven. Opening up the cabinet, I withdrew my bottle of Renu and my contact lenses case. It took only seconds for me to put in the contacts, but it was enough time to notice that Alice hadn't read me the text message. Annoyed at her dislike for technology, I turned around ready to snap at her but the look on her face froze me to the place I stood. "Alice?" I asked hesitantly. "What's going on? What does the text say?" After several moments, her eyes trailed up from the phone in her hands to look at my face.

"Are you sure you don't know who 'E' is, Bells?" She asked after her eyes reach mine. "Are you absolutely positive?"

"Why, Alice? What's going on?"

"He just sent you a text message; he has your cell phone number. That means he's got to be someone we actually know, right?"

"Alice! Read it to me!" I said, now urgently. Her hands shook as she refocused on the phone screen. "What does the text say?"

"It's short. There aren't any warnings like last time either. No visible or obvious threats, either. Well, not to the naked eye anyways. I get the feeling the voice of the message is meant to be threatening, though. Kind of like a warning without as many words... What could this mean?" She asked more to herself than to me. Anger and frustration bubbled in my chest as I reached across the counter and snatched my phone out of her hands.

The message was just as Alice had described. It was short alright, with less than a dozen words. This should have been a relief compared to the other notes we had received. However, as my eyes read over the text on my screen, I felt no weight lifted off my shoulder, no relief that what he may have been done with his torment. It only proved my argument from before. This wasn't over.

I threw the phone across the room in anger and as I did so, the words from the message formed in my mind.

'The game has begun; I will be seeing you soon. -E"

*-*-*-AWG-*-*-*-

"It stand to reason that whoever it is we're dealing with has a name that starts with E," Alice said, scrolling through her Facebook friends until she got to the section of friends with names beginning with 'E'. "Maybe we can figure out who he is through here,"

"That's not necessarily true, Al," I warned her. "'E' could be short for anything. Enemy, for instance. It's entirely possible that, since whoever it its that's tormenting us is going through great lengths to ensure his identity remains a secret, he wouldn't use the first letter of his real name. I don't think we'll be able to learn much from Facebook." Despite my words, I stood behind Alice, looking over her shoulder as she scrolled through her list of friends. There were a fair few of the names that I recognized from school, though I hadn't talked to any of them since summer started. None of them were stalkers though, or at least not that I've ever been made aware of. Even despite my friendship with Alice, I was more or less ignored at school, so it wouldn't be very surprising if most of these people didn't even know me. No one picked on me anymore, that hadn't been a problem since middle school, but no one was willing to open up to me or attempt to be my friend. I went to a lot of the same parties as everyone else, but I preferred being a wallflower and watch as Alice danced around the room, mingling and catching up with all the guests. I suppose thats what makes our friendship so strong, the fact that we're so different. I never even bothered creating an account of Facebook, knowing that there wasn't anyone I particularly cared to talk to besides Alice, Jasper and Emmett. They were just a quick text or drive away, why would I need a Facebook for that?

Alice, however, has a ton of friends. She says that their all just mainly accountancies, that she's got all the friends she needs in our small group, but I knew she enjoys the attention and the parties. She's offered to stop going completely for my sake, afraid that I was getting bored or that I didn't have any fun at them. But I saw how happy she was when she was surrounded in a room full of people and, even if it meant I had to endure a few hours of uncomfortable silence and people staring at me as if I was an alien who would probe them the moment I got the chance to be alone with them, I would endure it.

When we realized that we wouldn't be able to find any useful information on the internet, Alice decided it was time for her to go home.

I drop her off at her house and make her promise to text me tonight and let me know if she had any more run ins with our mysterious 'E'. She promises she will and pleads for me to do the same. I agree, saying that since it was my phone that got the text last, It was was unlikely that he'll contact me again tonight.

A quick shower and a change of pajamas later, I could almost forget about the stress in my life, deciding instead to focus on the positive. For instance, my mom gave me the freedom to rent a movie from Comcast tonight and I intended to take full advantage of that.

Halfway through a particularly gruesome horror movie, I decided that it would have been better if I had been smart enough to chose a comedy. Each time the main character had her back turned and haunted music began to blare in my surround sound system, I'd look over my own shoulder, eyes wide with anticipation. Each time the woman screamed in fear, my popcorn flew several feet in the air and made a mess on the couch and my snuggie. I checked my phone periodically, too. Half expecting that while the lights were off in the living room, and during a darker scene in the movie, my phone would ding like it had earlier and light up to indicate a new text message from my stalker. Throughout the entire movie though, not one of my fears came true and I was given the ability to fall asleep quickly and without nightmares.

When morning came, I woke groggily to the sound of the front door opening. Fast feet were paddling down the tile of my kitchen and heading in the direction of my bedroom. My nerves shot up and I kept my body as still and quiet as possible. Who could possibly be running into my house at eight in the morning? Fear blazes through me as I willed myself not to jump to conclusions. I wouldn't answer my question, I wouldn't freak out... not yet. The sound got closer and closer, louder and louder.

I jump out of bed and hid behind my door, taking the lamp from my night stand with me. If someone was breaking into my house, they weren't gonna come in here and mess with me, too.

I tensed as I saw the door open slightly in front of me. As the figure of a woman comes in through the doorway, she closes the door behind her and turns on the lights.

"Alice." I sighed in relief. My black curtains would have made seeing her difficult no matter what time of the day it was. She looks at me, taking in the offensive stance I hadn't realized I'd gotten down to and the lamp gripped tightly in my hands.

"You didn't text back last night," her voice shook with relief and exhaustion. I realized she had probably stayed up all night worrying about me. Damn it. "We promised, Bella. We promised to text each other to make sure the other was okay. I sent you a text message, but you didn't text me back." She sounded like a child and I immediately felt awful. I had forgotten about our agreement. I made her promise to text me, but I didn't even respond to let her know I was okay.

"I'm so sorry, Ali. I was watching a movie and then I went to sleep. I never thought about checking my phone." It was the truth, but I edited out the fact that I was afraid that if I checked my phone, I'd find another message from 'E', and I knew I just couldn't deal with him again yesterday.

"I was terrified for you." Alice's face remained pale and withdrawn throughout the conversation, not willing to forgive so easily or forget. She was right to be upset with me."I hate technology, and I hate cell phones. But I used my phone for you, to let you know I was okay. You couldn't have done me the same kindness? When it was you who wanted to do this in the first place? I came here, expecting to find you missing or hurt or.. or... or..." She collapsed on my floor, weeping into her hands with her shoulders shaking and sobs building in her throat. Guilt and shame ran deep within my heart.

"Alice, I'm sorry! I'm so so so sorry. I should've checked my phone. But I was so freaked out. I didn't think about the deal we made. Each time I went for my phone, I could practically see another message from that creep. I was terrified of what I would find. I know that is no excuse, and I know I should have gotten in contact with you last night, but I promise it wasn't because of any reason other than I forgot. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me."

She sniffled and reached out for my arm. Grabbing it, she pulled me down onto the floor. "I don't know what's going on. I'm as clueless as you, but we need to be clear with each other. He said the game has begun, but I don't understand what game he wants to play. He said he'll be seeing us soon, but I don't have a single damn clue about what he looks like. He could be watching us right now, Bella. Right now! You said not to underestimate him, so I'm not. This man can be capable of anything. So when you say that you'll text me before you go to sleep and let me know if you've had any more encounters with 'E', then you need to do it, goddamn it! Do you understand? Keep your promise, Bella! There aren't many people you and I can trust anymore, but we need to trust each other. Can I trust you?"

"Yes, Alice! I promise, and this time I'll keep it. I promise you can trust me."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

JPOV:

If there was one thing I knew about trucks, it was that they look a hell of a lot better without key marks, slits in the seats, and a broken window. it made me furious that someone would vandalize my car in such a vulgar fashion and not even stick around to get the shit knocked out of him in the way we folks from Texas deal with people. I took a breath and willed myself to calm down. Generally speaking, I'm an easy going, laid back sort of guy. However, the business with truck made me madder than a dog with rabies.

I picked up my cellphone and dialed the number for the mechanic Emmett recommended. La Push wasn't too far away, plus all of the men who worked on cars in the Seattle area had higher than average prices. I'd take a risk with a longer drive before agreeing to pay top dollar for lower than average work. After half a dozen rings, a voice on the other end of the phone picked up, sleep was clear in his voice and his thoughts seemed jumbled as we made arrangements for him to look at my car and give me an estimate on the repair price. His name was Jacob Black and he seemed like a nice enough character. I said I would be over the following day to start on our project. He assured me he had no plans, that I could come over any time after noon, but I wasn't to disturb his sleep again. We laughed and upon ending the call, I felt hope blooming in my chest. At least I could get the truck fixed soon; driving it around town in the condition it's in is not only embarrassing, but depressing.

Alice and Bella demanded that I take them with me to La Push tomorrow. They say that they've had a stressful week, what with my truck being destroyed and other issues involving Bellas' family, and they need an opportunity to get out of town. Knowing the trip would be at least a couple days, I rented us a hotel room in a small town next door to La Push called Forks instead of making the drive there and back for the next few days in Bellas' crappy old truck. Neither girl argued my logic, and Bella surprised me by taking my insulting her beloved machine without a comment or even a glare.

It became obvious this trip was necessary for them.

Making good on my promise, it was shortly after 12:30 in the afternoon when we arrived at the reservation. Jacobs' house wasn't difficult to find, It was relatively small, but set in the middle of a large piece of land. The engine in my truck roared as I pulled into the driveway and drove as slowly as I could down the gravel road in a feeble attempt to not mess up my tires. As we got closer, a tall, tanned man came rushing out of the house. The screen door screamed loudly with protest and I could hear his footprints as he came down the three or four short steps that made his house just above ground level.

"Hey, I'm Jacob," he introduced himself. He took a quick glance in my truck, noticing the ladies, and smirked in approval.

"And I'm Jasper Whitlock," I pointed to the girls. "This is Alice, my girlfriend, and her best friend Bella."

"Alice, Bella," he nodded in acknowledgment. "I see what you mean about the condition, but it should be a quick and cheap fix. I've already ordered some of the necessary items, they should be in tomorrow. Priority shipping, you know? Just bring her around back, you'll see a garage. There's a couple douche bags already back there, they'll help you with a few minor details. I'll be down in a minute."

We did as he instructed. Two boys sat on a stack of used tired in the corner of the room. They introduced themselves as Quill and Embry. Both boys smirked and gave me a thumbs up when they noticed that I had brought females with me. Really, I was beginning to wonder if women even existed on the reservation. From the way these dogs acted, you'd almost think the last time they saw a woman was when they left their mothers' vaginas.

I digress. I didn't like the way Embry kept looking at Bella, and Quill had his eyes on Alice, too. Trying to set some boundaries, I walked between the two girls and lazily laid one arm across their shoulders. Alice reached up on her tip toes and kissed my cheek. Bella, not used to any kind of frequent affection, giggled awkwardly and blushed a deep scarlet color. I raised a pointed eyebrows at the boys across the room, and they seemed to take the hint, Their smirks increased now, obviously thinking we were in some sort of polygamist relationship, or maybe he just assumed they were prostitutes. It didn't matter though. All I cared about was that my girls were left alone from low life creeps, which was the vibe I was getting off of these boys.

"Hey guys! Sorry about that, I was in the middle of something when you came over and I needed to take care of it." He looked at the douche bags in the corner and raised his eyebrows questionably. "They give you any trouble?" He whispered, too low for them to hear. They were busy ogling the truck, so they didn't notice our insistent stares.

"Nothing I can't handle, sir," I laughed. He nodded in agreement and set to work, examining every inch of the truck. I told them I'd be back before evening, but that I wanted to show Bella and Alice around Forks. Jacob and the grease monkeys (seriously seems like a good enough name for them) wasted no time, giving me a swift nod of his head and turning back to his work. I called a taxi to come pick us up and the girls and I waited by the front of the driveway for it to arrive.

"Maybe I should have drove my truck here; cab fare is outrageous," Bella complained, guilt becoming the more prominent look on her face. I chuckled.

"Darlin'', your truck wouldn't have made it here," I protested. Bella visibly bit her lip, holding back whatever smart ass comment that was on her tongue. Everyone constantly teased her about the truck since it was so ancient. She loved it though, which was obvious to anyone who saw her around it. To her, the piece of junk that anyone else would have thought wasn't even good enough to scrap for parts, was the most amazing vehicle she's ever laid eyes on. I'd be willing to bet that if she had the option to trade her truck in for any car in the world, she would refused. I admire her for that.

"Where are we going Jasper?" Alice asked.

The taxi rounded the corner, stopping suddenly and forcefully in front of the house. Opening the door, I allowed the ladies to slide into the seat first before I joined them.

"Are you always such a gentleman, sir?" The cabbie laughed. Before I could answer, he asked where it was I needed a ride to. I gave him my mothers address, wishing I had had the common courtesy to call ahead. Luckily, she's been on my ass about bring Alice up to meet her for the last two years, so I hoped my imposition would at least be a fortunate one. Alice looked at me, her eyes full of questions. She didn't recognize the address but then again, why would she? Forks and La Push were foreign places to Alice and Bella. Looking beyond her, I was surprised to see the look of sudden concentration on Bellas' face. She was staring at the cab driver, looking as if he was from a memory she couldn't place. Her eyes narrowed in frustration and she lowered her eyes to her lap. I wanted to ask her if she was okay, but the questions would have to wait until later.

*-*-*-AWG-*-*-*

BPOV:

The men at the garage were pigs. Well, except for Jacob,he seemed nice enough. Quill and Embry, however, made me decide that unless I came with a strong, male companion, there would be no possibility of me coming by Jakes' garage to have work done on my truck. I'll pay the overpriced labor at any mechanics' shop in Seattle as long as it meant I didn't have to watch the men in the room falling over themselves in an attempt to see down my shirt. Like I said before, they were pigs.

I was grateful when Jasper decided he wanted to take Alice and I around to see Forks. I've only ever been to the small, suburban town once with my Uncle Paul. We didn't stay long, we were more or less passing through on our way to First Beach. Paul was born on the Reservation and he always raved on and on about the wonders and beauty of First Beach. So, one day when I was twelve, he decided that I needed to see the place for myself instead of hearing second hand stories. I was definitely impressed. We got there early in the afternoon and stayed until well after the sun went down. We joined a group of adults Uncle Paul seemed to know. We sat by the bonfire, roasting hot dogs as the elders told us the stories passed down by generations of their tribe . It was a perfect day, leading into a perfect night. I couldn't help but feel like it may have been one of my happier memories.

We wait at the front of the driveway, and I listen to Jasper taunt me with insults about my truck. I know he doesn't mean them, so I bite my lip. I also feel bad about bringing up my truck, when he doesn't know that I'm partly responsible for the damage done to his. I wish I had the money to compensate him for it, so that he wouldn't have to spend his own money saved up for college to help repair the damage. Unfortunately, however, I had no money to offer and I knew Jasper wouldn't accept the help if I tried. There would be no explaining about the incident involving his car without getting into the situation with 'E'. That was a topic best left untouched for everyones' sake.

When the cab driver finally pulls up, Jasper opens the door and I slide in first. Beside me is Alice, and to her left is Jasper. I look into the rearview mirror at the reflection of the cab drivers face. He is attractive; His hair an odd shade of bronze and extremely messy with a pair of beautiful emerald green eyes. He looks familiar, but I couldn't figure out where I had seen him before. After several minutes pass in silence, I literally hear the click go off in my head. Lowering my head, I replay the night at the club in my head. The smirk. The same smirk the cab driver sported when he teased Jasper over being a gentleman.

There was no way this could be real.

*-*-*AWG-*-*-*-

It was there. The electricity, the tension. I felt as if I may suffocate in the confines of the car. I search around the door handle, hoping for an option to roll down the window and let out some of the tension that was thick in the air. Afraid to open my mouth, yet afraid of the loss of oxygen in my lungs, I waged a war with myself. I was afraid to talk to him, but I was seconds away from hyperventilating. "Sir?" I ask, my question coming out in a whisper. Coughing to clear my throat, I raised my voice so that it was loud enough for him to hear, although I suspect, by the way his eyes were trained on me instead of the road, that he had heard my bad attempt at speaking moments before. I wonder if he is aware of the increase of carbon monoxide in the car or if that was just me. "Sir, could you please roll the window down, It's getting kinda stuffy in here." He complies almost immediately and the relief that follows make my lungs eternally grateful. He seems to be breathing heavier too, as if he was glad I had made the suggestion about opening up the window. Strange.

"Bella?" Alice asks, concern written clear on her face. "You okay?"

"Yeah, Ali. Totally fine." I reassure her. Reaching into my pocket, I produce my phone. It was a little after 1:30, meaning we had only been in the car for roughly fifteen minutes. By the way my heart is reacting though, you would think that it's been ten years since I've step foot on land and I was finally able to breathe in real air again. I don't understand why I am reacting so strongly to this strangers' presence, but something about him unnerves me. I breathe a heavy sigh of relief when the car stops at our destination... and turn and look at Jasper in puzzlement. "Jazz?" I ask. He laughs at me and tells us to just follow him inside before we start asking questions. We'll know what's going on soon enough.

I was tired of waiting for answers though. The stranger from the club showing back up and 'E''s consistent torment had my ability to handle surprises at an irritatingly low point. After paying the cabbie for the ride and watching as the car raced out of sight, I turned on Jasper without a hint of playfulness or joking on my face. I saw the amusement in his eyes turn to confusion and then by the end of my rant, to hurt. Alice stood quietly by his side, shooting daggers at me with her eyes, but I wasn't done yet. I yell at him for everything; I yell at him for nothing. I yell until my voice is hoarse, my body feels light, and my head is throbbing. Jasper takes my anger though, never once throwing it back at me or interrupting me. He seems to understand that I'm just letting off steam, although he is hurt over the things I say. When he leads us inside, I collapse on the bed of one of the guest bedrooms and sleep. Never-mind that it's only four in the evening, I am exhausted. Before I fall asleep, I feel regret for the things I said to Jasper and tell myself I'll apologize to him in the morning. While I sleep, I begin to dream. In my dream, I can't hide from my fears. They follow me, taunting me with screaming voices and beckoning fingers. Darkness. A smirk. Blue lights flashing. Threats in the form of text messages and notes. A file full of photos taken without my knowledge or consent. Somewhere in my mind, I decide that there must be a connection to all these things, but as I awake screaming into the dark room that surrounds me, I can't put my finger on what that connection is..

- A/N: I posted this way earlier than I thought I was going to do. Just so you know, It's best not to expect a chapter a day. Sooner or later my early posting schedule will catch up to me and I'll run out of chapters I've got backed up(; lol. But I really hope you like this. Please, please let me know what you think! I'm anxious to know what you're thinking. Like it? Hate it? Who do you think 'E' is? Was Bella being a total bitch about Jasper? I sure do think so! Thanks everyone for reading & for the few of you who have reviewed! It means so much to me. xoxox Stephanie 


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

APOV:

I was astonished at the reaction Bella had a couple of hours ago in the driveway of Jaspers' mothers' house. I could understand her stress, but Jasper didn't deserve what Bella did to him and for that, I am incredibly angry with her. She fell asleep in the room that use to belong to Jaspers' sister, Jane. As she slept, Jasper and I went to visit with his family.

It was the first time I have been introduced to the Whitlocks. I am surprised that these people who were obviously in love with their home state, Texas, would group up and move to stormy, cloudy Forks. It wasn't even a place I liked to visit due to the darkened sky and never sunny weather. They, however, seemed perfectly content with their location. The only indication that they miss their hometown were some of the more western style paintings on the walls and how everyone in the house looked comfortable in a pair of cowboy boots. It was easy to feel at ease with these people. They were simple and kind, and I immediately liked them. Jaspers' mom was in the kitchen, wearing tight blue skinny jeans tucked into her dark brown cowboy boots and a dark red and gray flannel button up. Her blonde hair was a few shades lighter than Jaspers, and she had it pulled up on her head by a clip, although parts of her naturally curly hair refused to be held back. When we walked into the room, a smile broke across her face, making her look younger and all the more friendly.

"Well, will you look at that! You must be Alice! Oh, honey, it is so nice to finally meet you. Jazzies' been saying such sweet things about you, my dear! I was beginning to wonder if I'd ever meet the gal that stole my little boys' heart." She wraps her thin arms around me, trapping me in a tight hug that I was quick to return. I could feel my lips turn up in a brilliant smile of my own as I look over at Jasper who was standing behind me, face beet red with embarrassment. I stick my tongue out at him and he returns the childish gesture back to me. With a wink in his direction, I turn back to face his mother.

"Hello, Mrs. Whitlock," My mother taught me the importance of being respectful to adults, so unless she specifically asks otherwise, you can never go wrong in addressing a stranger formally. "I'm Alice. Mary Alice, actually, but I usually just go by Alice."

"Mary Alice, huh?" Her southern accent was strong and comforting. She reminds me of the kind of mom you see on television; the one who takes her boys to soccer practices and spend her entire afternoon in the kitchen, making meals and delicious desserts. Basing on the fact that the kitchen now smelled strong of apple pie, I'd bet my theory wasn't that far off from the truth. "What a beautiful name, darlin'. Would you mind if I called you that?"

'No, of course not. Feel free to call me whatever you want."

'Oh, thank ya, pumpkin'. Now Jasper, come here and give your momma a big ol' hug." Jasper crossed the room, not stopping until he stood directly in front of his mother. He put his arms around her shoulders and laid a light kiss on the top of her head. Ever the gentleman, my Jasper. He had obviously been brought up well.

After breaking apart, Jaspers' mom shooed up away so that she could start on dinner. She offered to open her house up to us for as long as we needed, but Jasper refused, saying he had already put down the deposit for the hotel. It wasn't far, he assures her, and we'll be able to visit here during the day while Jacob repaired the damages made to Jaspers' truck. Happy enough that we would at least be back for another visit tomorrow, she allowed us to leave the room after just one more question; where's Bella?

"She's been under a lot of stress lately," Jasper explained. "So when we got here, she was pretty exhausted. We let her sleep in Janes' old room. Please don't let anyone disturb her until she's ready to get up." His mother nodded, smiling. I wondered if that woman ever had an unhappy look on her face, but then decided that it wasn't something I ever wanted to see. A woman like Jaspers' mother should always be smiling.

As we left the kitchen, heading in the direction of the back porch, I heard a loud, ear-piercing screech, followed by a round of screaming. Without much thought as to what I was doing, I took off running in the direction of the noise, with Jasper hot on my trail. The noise was coming from the hall where the bedrooms were connected and one thing I knew for certain was that the screaming came from Janes' room, where Bella slept.

"Bella?" Jasper asked, slowly edging towards the hysterical girl sitting with her knees to her chest . He took short, diligent strides, giving her enough time to process that was coming near her, trying not to frighten her more than she had already been. When he reached her, he sat beside her on the twin sized bed, putting his arm around her and gingerly moving her head to his shoulder. "Darlin', are you all right? Did you have a nightmare?" Bella nodded, a sob erupting in her throat. "Do you want to talk about it?" He asked, speaking in a low whisper.

"N-n-n-o." She stuttered. "P-p-pleas-e-e. I can't," Her shoulders shook as more tears freed themselves from her bloodshot eyes. "Please, Jasper. I-I-I can't." Her voice broke at the end and she buried her face in his T-shirt.

"Sh! Sh, Bells, It's quite all right, sweetheart. You don't need to speak if you don't want to. I'll just sit her for you, darlin'. You can talk about it if you want, but I won't push you." He wraps his other arm around her in a tight embrace.

"I'm so sorry, Jasper. S-s-so goddamn sorry about the way I treated you earlier. It wasn't okay. You're such a great friend, and I treated you like dirt. I am so so sorry about that."

"Oh Bells, don't you worry your pretty little head with that nonsense. I forgive you, sweetheart. You have no need to worry." Despite the situation we were in, I could feel my the sides of my lips move upwards as I smiled. Jasper was such a perfect gentleman, he wouldn't even hear of Bellas apologizes, even though she was totally in the wrong earlier and he deserved her words of remorse. However, he was far more worried about Bellas emotional state than his own wounded ego, and it was the simple things like that about Jasper that made me love him so much, so unconditionally. He always treated women like ladies, and he himself always acted like a gentleman. Jasper looked up into my eyes as these thoughts formed into my mind and his expression went from tender to confused. He had an uncanny ability to know the directions my emotions were going in and he was surprised to see my face so full of pride and love. It didn't take long for him to catch onto the fact that his reactions and reassurances to Bella were the source of these emotions, and he gave me a brilliant, breathtaking smile. Looking at him now, I couldn't believe it was possible to love one person so much. My entire heart yearned for him, needed his smile and his laughter and his affection. I could feel this invisible pull to always be near him, to always be with around him. My whole mind needed his acceptance, his love, and his reassurance. Smiles like the one he is currently giving me, and with the emotions of such deep devotion and dedication flaming behind his perfect blue eyes, I realized that these were one of those times that I felt so reassured, so utterly and completely in love with this amazing man in front of me. I didn't know what I did to deserve this miracle, but I thank God daily for Jaspers presence in my life.

There was no way I could ever, ever tell him about 'E'.

*-*-*-AWG-*-*-*-

BPOV:

Jasper and Alice excused themselves once I had straightened myself out. I feel like an idiot for the way I behaved; both when I screamed at Jasper yesterday, and then again from my reaction from my dream. I couldn't imagine what kind of nut case the rest of the house thought I was. First I come running into the house and end up falling asleep in the first available bed, and then the next morning I become a crying, screaming lunatic.

Fabulous. Just freaking fabulous.

By dinnertime that night, I was able to finally relax for the first time in almost twenty-four hours. No one commented on my ridiculous behavior, and I wasn't forthcoming about what had me act so irrationally.

Instead, Jasper talked about his truck. His family hadn't yet heard about the situation that caused us to visit Forks in the first place, and they were all, understandably, outraged at the obscenity of it all. Apparently, as I slept off my exhaustion in Janes' room, Jasper went down to check on the state of the truck. Jacob had said that it would take eight hours of actual manual labor, although with his schedule, our trip could be another two days, "Three tops," Jasper had quoted.

I tried to have an open mind about our adventure, but my first full twenty-four hours in Forks wasn't really a very promising beginning.

Instead of further imposing on the Whitlock family, after dinner my little group took another taxi to the hotel we were booked for. I was both disappointed and relieved when I didn't recognize the guy behind the steering wheel. I had mixed feelings on whether or not I wanted to see my beautiful, bronze haired stranger.

The drive was short. Of course, we were still in Forks so you could spend the entire day driving from one place to another and still not burn a significant amount of gas, but I was happy to be out of the confines of the car and out in the fresh air. It seems that recent events have made me claustrophobic.

The 'hotel' Jasper described appeared to be more of a motel, although luckily it seemed clean and safe enough. He had made arrangements for us to stay in a two bed room, and the clerk at the front desk gave us directions to our room while handing us the key. I shouldn't be surprised by the lack of glamour, considering it was indeed Forks, otherwise known as not your typical ideal vacation spot. Therefore, things like prestigious hotels with people to help carry your bags and call you "Miss" or "Sir" or "Madam" just seemed to be a waste of resources around a town like this. Oh well, at least they offered complementary breakfast to the morning birds around here. Thinking of how awfully I've been sleeping lately, I suddenly realized I'd probably be able to make it there before they closed at 10 a.m..I laughed silently as I carried my own duffle bag into our room on the second floor.

The curtains on the window were drawn back to inform the people at the desk about its vacancy, so upon arriving in the room, I quickly pulled them back into place so we were invisible to the outside world, and them as well were hidden from us. Jasper quickly excused himself to the bathroom under the pretense of taking advantage of the limitless hot water the hotel provided to take a shower and change into his pajamas. Alice and I stared at each other as Jasper grabbed a handful of clothes from his bag and disappeared behind the door. It wasn't until after the water began running that anyone spoke.

"What you did yesterday was wrong, Bella. I'm going through the same messed up situation as you, but you don't see me blowing my fuse on anyone. Jasper may have been able to forgive you, no questions asked, but I'm not him. He knows somethings up with you and if you don't chill out soon, you're gonna put us in a very sticky situation. I don't like having to lie to him, so stop making me cover for you." Her eyes were cold and unforgiving as she stared me down with such intensity I thought I would break down in tears for the second time today. I needed to get a grip if I was going to pull this off.

"Alice, I know. I am so sorry, I know I had no right and no reason to act like I did. It was just stress getting the better of me. I'll try better next time, I promise."

"These days Bella, your promises don't really mean shit to me.


	7. Chapter 7

I really should remember to do this at the start of every chapter, but somehow, it has completely slipped my mind. Obviously, I don't own Twilight. I do, however, own a snuggie that I spent the duration of writing this chapter bundled up in. This, like everything else I've wrote thus far, has not been beta'd. All mistakes are mine. -*-*AWG*-*-

Chapter 7:

BPOV:

_'These days Bella, your promises don't really mean shit to me.'_

These words passed through my head relentlessly for the last two and a half hours. Alice had excused herself from the room shortly after making this terrible, yet painfully truthful statement, leaving me to my own thoughts. I was glad for both her and Jaspers' absences though. I took advantage of this time of privacy in order to let the last of my tears fall, this time soundlessly, down my face. I cried in silence as I physically felt the distance between my best friend and I. Just last week, everything had been perfect. My friendship with Alice, Jasper and Emmett were the only thing in my life that I was sure of, the only truly pure thing I had. Now, because of 'E' and my own stupid acts, I felt as though two of these friendships that I have held so dearly for so long have become tainted. Alice would have never said something as sadistic and hurtful to me before this situation with 'E'. I was worried about what would remain of us after his torment has finished, or if there would even be anything left to salvage.

Using the tactic I've become to perfect over the last several days, I blocked out all of my thoughts. It had been the only way I could retain my sanity, but now it was because I had a part to play. I hadn't realized the way my actions affected Alice, the way she had to lie about my behavior and motivation behind such behavior to the man she loved. She and I both hate lying, agreeing that the truth, while it may sometimes be more painful, was always a preferred route. No secrets, no lies, no backstabbing; a pure friendship.

A friendship that I may have just ruined by enforcing two of these three silent rules my group has lived by for years.

As I blocked out these painful thoughts, I leaned my head against the pillow. There was no way I'd be able to sleep, but I needed the moment to compose myself.

_We needed to keep a straight face. They would know we were lying. They could see it on our faces. _It had become my motto as I tried to remind myself of the character I am suppose to play for the sake of others, _You're Bella Dywer, you can do this! _I breathed a heavy sigh of frustration, but I could feel my poker face coming into play. Just in time, too, since Jasper was currently opening up the door to the steamy bathroom, looking clean and comfortable with his wet hair and flannel pajama set. I grinned at him.

"Where's Alice?" Jasper asked, his eyebrows coming together in confusion and his hand still on the bathroom door hesitantly.

"Food," I answered. "She said she was hungry and there was this Chinese place out in La Push she wanted to try. She put in our order and left to go and pick it up. She really should be back any time now." I looked up at the clock on the wall, trying to remember how far La Push would be from here. Two hours? Somehow, I didn't see that being the case.

I tried to keep my face neutral, even though my mind was going to full blown panic mode. Jasper bought my innocence and collapsed on the second bed, gabbing the remote from the side table and switching the poor television on. We sat there for five minutes before the anxiety was to much to handle.

"I think I'll have a shower," I said. My voice shook slightly, but if he noticed he had the decency not to comment on it. Or maybe he was just use to my strange behavior lately and just didn't seem the need to question it. Maybe he was worried about the state of my sanity, I know I sure as hell am.

"Okay, that's fine. The showers are under the sink." I nodded, letting him know I understood. I grabbed my duffle bag and bolted for the door. I rummaged around in the bag, exaggerating my movements a little so as not to move to fast, and then withdrew my cell phone from the side pocket. I counted to ten, deciding it was a reasonable enough time to wait until I turned the shower head on. Once the sound of water hitting the tile floors in the shower started, I dialed Alices' number with renewed panic seething through me. What was taking her so long? I should never have agreed to her traveling alone, especially now. I should've thought about things. Even if she was angry at me, she would at least see reason that neither of us should be out without any kind of company until we got the whole 'E' situation dealt with. Three rings. Damn it, Alice. It rang for a fourth time. A fifth. If she didn't answer the phone, I was going to march into the room, throwing caution and reason in the air and tell Jasper we needed to search for Alice. However, I'd prefer not to have to stoop to this action, knowing he would identify that my time in the bathroom was a hoax to have the ability to call Alice in private. It would be proof enough to him that something bigger is at work with the two of us, and he would not stop his interrogation until he was let into the loop. He may be a kind gentleman who didn't like to push, but if he knew his girlfriend and his friend were potentially in danger, he would throw his own morals to the wind and do whatever it took, even threatening to leave her and I alone indefinitely, until we spilled our secrets. A sixth ring and I felt almost all hope I had at reaching her now evaporate. My fingers itched towards the door handle. He would have to know. i would have to explain to him the events that have taken place in the last week, and we would all have to hold our breath and wait until 'E' drags out whatever form of punishment he's planned for lose lips.

A seventh ring and I felt a silent tear roll down the corner of my eye.

An eighth.

She answered.

"Bella?" She asked, bewilderment obvious in her tone. "Bella, what's going on?"

"Alice! Where have you been? You left two hours ago! Why aren't you back yet? Why did it take you so long to answer my call? Are you hurt? Are you lost? What's going on?" I tried to speak softly, but my joy at hearing Alices' voice, obviously safe and out of harms way, had my attempt at a silent whisper rising in volume. I controlled my voice and hoped that these walls were thicker than I feared. Being on the phone instead of in the shower as I had said I was doing was incredibly sketchy. Plus, it broke our second rule and since I've been doing that enough lately because our circumstances demanded it, I would much rather limit the amount of time I needed to lie to Jasper. He's done so much good for and being less than truthful to him hurt me deeply. I couldn't imagine the turmoil Alice was in.

"Oh, dear God. Bella, you have no idea how incompetent this damn taxi driver is. I've given him the address six different times and he's managed to forget which direction we're heading in and getting us lost at every opportunity imaginable. I hope he doesn't expect me to pay for all his mishaps. I only owe him for the twelve miles to the restaurant and then the twelve miles back. Everything else was his fault. I swear, Beauty and Brain never do come in the same package."

I giggled silently to myself, both because Alice wasn't screaming at me, she was joking around again. Also, because I was so dang relieved to hear that she was safe that I almost didn't manage to hear the last sentence she spoke."

"I'm sorry, Al. What was that?"

"Beauty and brains," she laughed loudly. It's been days since I've heard her laugh, and all my anxiety and depression died away with the sound of it. "I mean, Jazz is hot and a total genius, but that's so rare it isn't even funny. I guess this man is no exception to that rule though. He's beautiful, all right. Although with how messy his hair is, you'd think he was just so distracted thinking about the sex he was just engaging in before my call instead of the dang road." She laughed again. "it's also quite a nice color. You don't get that shade of bronze very often. My mothers best friend, Elizabeth, has it though. It's so nice. You remember Elizabeth?"

I did, indeed, remember Elizabeth. I also immediately pictured the odd shade her hair color was. No more than a few seconds later, I remembered who else had that bronze hair and my chest went cold. It felt as everything was moving in slow motion. I could see it all again, with startling clarity. His smirk at the club and then again when Jasper opened the door for us yesterday afternoon as we left Jakes' garage. I could see how the dark black lights made his face appear to be in shadows, and then the way the sun made his emerald eyes twinkle. I could see his fists tightening on the steering wheel as some inner turmoil ran through him. I could see the way his shoulders sagged in relief as I asked for him to roll down the windows.

I wasn't sure what to say to Alice as I made my realizations, so I just sat there quietly. I was afraid to ruin what little progress we've made since her departure from the hotel room a couple hours ago, but I was even more afraid of what she would see from my reaction.

Part of me thought I should tell her about my predictions about this man, but another nagging part of my told me it was a terrible idea. All this revelation would do is bring paranoia to places it shouldn't be brought. With our nerves acting the way they are and our guards up, anything suspicious could make us begin to overanalyze and over think everything. Therefor, when we find out he isn't even tied to our situation, we'll have wasted so much time and our stalker would be just that much ahead of the game than us. We needed to play our angles right, and from what I could see and feel, telling her my worries about our bronze-haired stranger was just foolish. Maybe if it became necessary, but I couldn't do it now.

"Yeah, Alice. I remember her. Are you almost back to the hotel?" I needed to get off the phone, I had so much to process.

"Yeah, we're pulling onto the same street now. I'll see you in just a few minutes."

"I'll be in the shower. I'll see you in about twenty." After hanging up the phone, I quickly changed out of my clothes and let the hot water drain away all my recent troubles. I was probably letting my food get cold, but I couldn't find a reason to care. Worst case scenario, I'd thank the lucky the stars that at least microwaves had been invented at the same time as this hotel, so there was a way to warm up the food. The mini fridge in the room would keep it from being contaminated by any bacteria. So I wouldn't worry, I had enough of that coming in the road ahead. It seemed foolish to waste it now


	8. Chapter 8

**I do not own Twilight, even if the author and I share the same name. I do however, own the plot. All mistakes are mine, so forgive me. This, like everything else I've wrote up to this point, is un-beta'd. Enjoy!**

**In an attempt to answer some of the question you guys have asked, I've decided to include the answers in an author note instead of just PMing each of you individually, in case anyone else in unclear on these matters as well.**

**To begin with, I should tell you how old each character is. I'm basing it closely to Stephenie Meyers' Twilight and decided to make them 17, though this is the summer before their Senior year. For those of you who wonder why Alices' mom lets her spend nights away with her boyfriend, you have to remember that these two are in a very serious relationship, one thats lasted three years. Her mom was a teenager once, she knows kids have sex. At least Alice isn't trying to sneak around behind her mothers back. 17 is the age where you begin to be given a little bit of freedom before you enter the world of adulthood.**

**Also, the incident from 6th grade WILL be explained, you just need to give it some time. Bella is more of an introvert, if you haven't already figured that out, but she will let us through those walls of hers soon enough. **

**Alice hates technology, yes. Although, some of you may wonder why I made her a Facebook. If you remember, I also said that she was a very social person, and Facebook is one of the top social networking sites. Her hatred towards technology is a result of her ignorance of it. She doesn't understand all the different things these smart phones can do, and therefor she hates them. If you have a Facebook, you should know that it's easy to understand.**

**Also, many of you may not understand why i made Phil her father and not Charlie. It wasn't an accident. there is a reason. When the time comes, you'll understand.**

**I hope this has cleared up any questions you may have had. This story is meant to be mystery & suspense. I can't answer all of your questions about the future without giving too much away. I hope you can bare with me and just enjoy the ride for a little bit longer. Also, thank each and every one of you who has taken the time to review this story. It means so very much to me. I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

Chapter 8:

BPOV:

The night passed. Alices' cheerful attitude seemed to linger as well and for that, I could feel my own mood brighten considerably. In all the years she and I had been friends, we'd never actually had a real fight. All arguments were resolved in the simple 'we may have different opinions, but I still love you' mentality, and even those kinds of disagreements between us were few and far between. This animosity that I felt between us earlier worried me, but thankfully she seemed to have moved past her anger.

Luckily, my sleep was dreamless. I wasn't sure I would be able to handle the pressure of having a nightmare the way I did the previous night while others were around to witness it firsthand. Plus, Alice had been right. Jasper was beginning to suspect something. We couldn't risk him knowing that something was up with us, we were relying heavily on his ignorance. Alice was a much better actress than I am, he didn't expect anything from her. Unfortunately, the same could not be said about me.

He tried to be subtle, but I noticed he kept watching me. He was waiting for me to slip, for me to freak out over something or just possibly have another screaming and crying fit. I wouldn't give him what he was looking for, my acting skills were improving as my resolve to keep Jasper as far away from what was going on as possible increased. I knew He wanted to ask, but he was giving me my space. I didn't need the warning glances Alice shot my way, I already knew that I needed to keep my act up.

The next morning brought a new prospective. The truck wouldn't be ready until the next day, so we got to spend the afternoon getting to know Forks. We had a taxi driver take us out to a diner in the middle of Forks to get lunch. Based on the size of the town, we suspected we could get away with walking around for most of the day instead of paying more cab fare; we'd have to have a car take us back to the hotel this evening, so we would minimize our expenses as much as possible. The food at the diner was fantastic; the burger and cheese fries I ordered were much better tasting than anything I'd ever ate in Seattle. I guess one of the many perks of small towns were their higher than average food quality.

We were all much too preoccupied stuffing our faces with food to keep up a stable conversation, so we ate in a peaceful silence. Alice didn't look my way very often, but when she did I always saw the reminder in her eyes: Keep it cool. My face gave nothing away.

We paid for our food and left the diner. With no real purpose, we ventured out into the unknown of Forks. There wasn't very much to see, but I enjoyed the simplicity of small town living. It seemed to be a town where everyone knew everyone, and one that rarely harbored visitors. People stared at us everywhere we went with open curiosity on their faces. While the small town living had its perks, I didn't much like the fact that everyone seemed to know what was going on with everyone else: what two people just started dating, who recently broke up, who is cheating on their spouse, and whose children got caught sneaking in whiskey to the homecoming dance. The lack of privacy would never cease to annoy me; In a place like this, no matter how many years are between you and graduation, you never seem to truly leave the drama and betrayal of high school behind. At least in the city, people kept to themselves and minded their own damn business.

Nonetheless, we enjoyed our parent-free, school-free, and most importantly, 'E'-free opportunity.

It's been several days since we've had any form of contact from our nameless stalker and I had mixed feelings about these turn of events. I should feel relieved, that maybe he has tired of his game. Unfortunately, I couldn't deem that as the likely case. He was waiting, biding his time for us to more vulnerable. The anxiety his disappearance has caused has been planted in us and is working its magic. I couldn't leave the house without wondering, couldn't come across an unfamiliar face without thinking, '_Is this him?'_

Worrying wouldn't do anything positive for me, so instead I focused my thoughts and energy on other things; like concentrating on enjoying my time with Alice and Jasper.

It wasn't a hard task to accomplish: I had some of the greatest friends. No matter how strange the occasion, they can always make me laugh. Looking at Alice, the way her smile was wide and seemingly genuine, I couldn't see any indication that she even knew of the situation we were in. Her entire being was radiating bliss and ignorance, two words paired together too often for my own taste. It wasn't until much later that night that her facade faltered.

Making true to our promise, we returned to the Whitlock house for dinner after much window shopping and witty humor exchanged between the three of us that afternoon. Upon our arrival, Jaspers mother grabbed Alice into a tight embrace, hugging her for several seconds. Stepping back while her arms remained on Alices' shoulders, her smile broadened. "Oh dear me, have you ate anything yet today, Mary Alice? You are so tiny, you must be starving." She quickly released Alice and scurried into the kitchen to begin the preparations for dinner. Jasper let out a loud laugh, kissing Alices' forehead gingerly.

"What's for dinner, ma?" He asked as he stepped into the kitchen. I followed slowly, wishing I could have been Invisible Woman from the _Fantastic 4 _movies; what I wouldn't give to just be able to fade into the background at this moment. It seemed to me as though Jaspers mother was still a little touchy over my antisocial behavior the previous day. It wasn't as though I enjoyed sitting in silence as the rest of the family laughed and smiled, blissful from the reunion of their family and the introduction of Jaspers' significant other; although finding a common ground conversation that I could follow and comprehend with these people seemed to be tricky. It wasn't that they were self absorbed, but they all seemed too wrapped up in their own happiness to notice my unease.

I tried not to be too offended in the way I was ignored by his family, but as the night progressed and dinner was nearing its' end, I felt my anger at being so easily forgotten boil under my skin. I took a deep breath to calm myself, I really needed to get my emotions under control.

"Oh dear, Mary Alice sweetie, I completely forgot about something. Give me just a moment," Jaspers' mother launched herself out from her chair and raced in the direction of the kitchen. Alices' face gave away confusion, though she kept herself still and composed. "This package came in for you today," Jaspers' mother announced as she reentered the dining room. The package in her hands was of medium sized and I could feel my own face turn into one of confusion. She handed it to Alice, smiling brightly. "Do you know who the sender is, dear?"

The fear on Alices' face was short lived. Her eyes went wide and I could see the look of utter shock and terror fight for dominance on her pale face. Her eyes locked with mine, conveying a million messages at once but I heard the main point get across in these milliseconds that our communication took place. _He's back. _

I shook my head in disagreement. _He's not back, Alice. He never left._

-*-*-*-*-*-*AWG-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

She had laughed off the incident and no one was made the wiser of her inner turmoil. No one pushed her to open the package, although they made no attempt to conceal their obvious curiosity of what lays inside. My own emotions were waging a war deep within me. I was curious, but the horror that he had found us in such a remote location was becoming the winner of the battle. I was desperate to be alone with Alice so that we could thoroughly examine what sat inside of the box. No doubt, her desire mirrored mine.

Jaspers mother invited us to stay the night again, but this time we found it easier to refuse. Jaspers logic was that we had already paid the motel for the duration of our stay and we shouldn't waste such resources. Alice and I had our own secret logic, although we were in dire need of a few minutes without Jaspers presence.

The cab ride back to the motel was quite, and I hope Jasper can't feel the tension that is rising in the small confines of the vehicle. I was anxious to get back, to open the box that no doubt contained more information from our stalker.

"You girls okay?" Jasper asked as he helped each of us out of the cab. Smiling brightly, Alice grabbed Jaspers' hand and entwined their fingers together.

"We're fine, Jazz. Can we just go up? It's been such a long day and I'm exhausted." As if to prove her sincerity, she let out a giant yawn. His laughter vibrated off the walls as he led us into the lobby.

Jasper had the room key, they must have forgotten to give us a spare and as the man he wouldn't trust us women to hang on to our only way to get into the room. We both scoffed at his logic, knowing that he was only teasing. If anyone was likely to give the women in his life whatever they desired, Jasper was the man. He did, however, get a sense of pride, and I'm sure more points on his gentleman card, as he opened the door to the motel and signaled for the ladies to go in ahead of him. I giggled lightly, wondering if there were even such thing as a 'gentleman card'. I'm sure that species of male is so rare and old that the card would still be carved on rocks.

"Okay ladies," Jasper said as he moved closer to the bathroom door. "I need to wash off todays funk. Are you okay to be out here by yourselves for awhile?" Jaspers worry makes me smile. It wasn't as if we were out in the middle of nowhere, we were sitting cross legged on the bed inside of a motel room.

Alice smiled up at him, "Yeah Jazz, have a nice shower," she winked at him before looking back at me. Our eyes held for several moments, both of us dreading the reveal of our latest message.

"Okay darlin'," Jasper quickly took the remaining steps into the bathroom. Neither Alice nor I moved a muscle until we heard the sound of water running and Jasper humming country songs.

"Are you ready?" Her eyes were still on me, trying to gauge my reaction. I swallowed loudly and let out a deep, shaky breath.

"Not even remotely, but just open the damn box."

**What has 'E' sent them?**

**I know, but do you? Whoever can guess right will get a teaser for the next chapter. I intend to put that one out on Friday. I don't have a clear update schedule at the moment, but I hope to finally settle down to 2 updates a week. I've recently started another story that I need to divide my attention for. If you're interested in some new material, look up my new story **_Boy Without A Heart _.** It's another BxE story, I wouldn't dream of writing anything else.**

**Anyways guys, let me know how you feel about this chapter.**

**Sorry for the cliffhanger, but it was the only reasonable place I could think to stop. The next chapter will have quite the twisty road.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Stephenie Meyer owns the characters; I own four dogs that I love very dearly.**

**This is un-beta'd. All mistakes are mine.**

**Special thanks to my reviewers! You keep a smile on my face. I like that I'm making you think(;**

**I'm blown away by the amount of hits & visitors this story has gotten! You guys are fantastic and I'm so thrilled you've decided my story was worth your time.**

**I'm a daydreamer guys. And the part that got me to write this story hasn't even come yet! I can't wait until we get farther in! So many drama and secrets will be revealed.**

**SO HOLD ON TO YOUR HATS, MY DEARS. Lets hope we blow them away!**

Chapter 9:

BPOV

I could feel the pull between my eyebrows as they furrowed together in confusion. "Is there a note?" I asked, staring at the object in my hand. I didn't quite understand what 'E's idea was in giving us a cell phone, but there was no way this was just some friendly gift.

I heard the sound of Alice digging through the now open box, though I didn't dare take my eyes off of the small phone that sat on the palm of my hand. Part of me wondered if it was going to blow up, though that didn't seem to be likely. What a boring ending to this game he enjoys playing so much.

"No," her reply came as she let out a loud grunt in frustration. I quickly shushed her, reminding her that we weren't alone. My eyes pointed to the bathroom door where Jasper was still taking his shower, ignorant of the situation his girlfriend and I were in. "There's nothing, Bella!"

I don't understand, but I don't dare question it. The phones purpose will be revealed when 'E' decides we need to know. I hated having to rely so much of my knowledge on another human being, though it didn't seem as if I would get much choice in the matter.

Suddenly, the phone in my hand buzzed once, twice, three times. I stared at the device in horror, not sure I was ready to have my questions answered so quickly.

"What is it?" Alice asks, reaching to grab the phone from my hand. My grip on it tightens, not allowing her to take it from me.

"It's a text," I say as I run my finger across the phone to unlock it. My mouth is dry, my heart fluttering in nervous anticipation. I don't read it out loud and instead give it to Alice to read once I finish.

"What are we suppose to do?" She asks, sitting down on the corner of the bed for support. I imagine she didn't trust her weak knees to hold her up, considering I was questioning the likelihood of falling over myself.

"What choice do we have, Ali?" I ask quietly. "We need to do as he says. In the end, what other option do we have? There seems to be way too much at stake."

She nodded her agreement, though I could tell she hated this as much as I did. I grabbed my duffle bag off the floor, searching through it until I found my cellphone. I signaled for Alice to begin picking her own things up and packing. As I refill the bag with my toothbrush, toothpaste and the clothes I brought for the trip, I called a local taxi. I saw Alice scribbling a note for Jasper while tears threatened to escape from her sea blue eyes. "I'm so sorry, Jazz." She kissed the paper, holding it to her lips for several seconds before she lowered the note onto the desk.

"You ready?" I ask, not wanting to disrupt her, though we needed to get away before Jasper got out of the shower. I wasn't sure Alice would be able to leave him behind if she had to lie straight to his face, and I was afraid I'd face the same indecision.

"No, Bella. But let's just the hell out of here." She picked her duffle bag off the floor, and lead the way out of the motel room. I took one more wistful look at the bathroom door, wishing I could have said a better goodbye, and then I follow her out, closing the door after me.

oooooooooooooooooooo-oooooooooooooooo-ooooooooooo

JPOV:

"I'll take you for a ride on my big green tractor," I sang, knowing I was way off key. "We can go slow..." I turned the water off, reaching for the towel I'd placed directly outside of the shower. The lack of noise in the room was unnerving. I wasn't a idiot, I knew Alice and Bella had been arguing lately, I just thought I'd give the girls some space to work out their own problems. Even if all I wanted to do was crack their skulls together, forcing them together. Friends like Alice and Bella shouldn't ever fight, it just made no sense to me.

More flannel pajamas. While it's not like I had a flannel fetish the way Bella accused, I really do love the comfortable material.

I still heard nothing on the other side of the door, which just increased my anger towards them. Were they giving each other the silent treatment now? Against my better judgement, I decided I would go out there and demand answers once I got my clothes on.

They were on, and I was about to get some answers.

"Is there a problem?" I ask as I open the bathroom door. No response came and my chest tightened. Their bags were gone, leaving the room almost completely bare. They had left me. I wondered over to the door and opened it, hoping this was some sort of trick or misunderstanding. Or maybe I was just hoping they'd left recently enough that I'd be able to catch them and convince them to stay.

A thorough investigation of the motel left me with the knowledge that they were gone- really gone. I sunk to my knees once I returned to room, not understanding why they'd leave me the way they did. A piece of paper was sitting on the desk, but I wasn't sure I had the strength to read whatever they had left for me. Instead, as I made my way to the bed, I tripped over something that had been left in the middle of the room. I cursed loudly as my hands caught my fall. A phone. A bloody phone had tripped me. I picked up the devilish device and threw it forcefully onto the bed, not wanting to cause it any damage, but at least have the option to let out some of the frustration their unannounced departure had left me with.

Closer inspection and I realized the phone didn't belong to Alice or Bella. My eyes went wide with fear. What if they had been kidnapped and the person who had taken them had dropped his phone on the floor during some kind of fight? I didn't know, but I was afraid to jump to conclusions. Instead, I held the device in my phone, turning it over in my hand for several minutes while I decided my next course of action.

Reading whatever could be written on this phone was a total invasion of privacy. It was against my better judgement to invade someone's personal belongings in that way. I was raised with higher morals and a deep respect for other peoples things.

Then again, if there were any way to find out what had happened to my girls, this was the more likely way to find out. Well, this or the note. I sighed in defeat, realizing that I needed to read what it was that Alice had wrote me. Maybe she'd give me answers.

I sat in the only chair in the room, running my fingers through my hair as I prepared myself for whatever I was about to read.

_Jasper,_

_I realize we've left on such a short notice and I'm so very sorry to leave you like this. Unfortunately, an emergency came up and Bella and I are needed back at Seattle. We've taken a taxi so you shouldn't worry about us. Phil will cover any expenses anyways. I wish I could tell you more, but I only know a few details. Stay in Forks, get your truck fixed, and maybe visit with your family for a few more days. Neither Bella nor I will be available for the next few days, so you don't have to worry about us waiting on your arrival back home._

_I love you and I miss you already. I only hope you will understand and find it in your heart to forgive me for this. I really have no choice._

_-Alice._

I sighed, I didn't know whether to believe her which only added to my need to look at the phone. Or maybe it was really just my curiosity looking for a reason to snoop. Whatever, I wasn't going to ignore this anymore.

I grabbed the phone and ran my finger across the screen to unlock it. There was one message. It left me more confused then coming out to find the girls missing and I didn't know how I should feel about it.

_When you're out of Forks, call the only number in your contacts list. You will be given further instructions once you speak with him. Leave now. -E_

I didn't recognize the contacts number, but for some reason I felt sick to my stomach.

I tried calling Alice twice, but each time it went straight to voicemail. The same conclusion was drawn when I tried reaching out to Bella.

I cursed under my breath, my irritation and confusion rising.

What the hell is going on?

**A/N: Can you believe Jasper read the text? What is going on indeed, Jasper?**

**Reviews will make me smile.**

**Who is 'E' having the girls call? A correct guess will earn you a teaser!**

**I'll update again Monday or Tuesday. Depending on when I have time. I hope you've enjoyed the story thus far.**

**It's not even half way over yet, guys! This is what you would call "Rising Action" if you were still in literature class.**

**The plot thickens.**

**Until next time,**

**xxxx Stephanie**


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